Sterilizing and disinfecting apparatus



Ap 20, 1948. 'H. c. GOULD V STERILIZING AND DISINFECTING APPARATUS ZSheets-Shet 1 Filed May 10, 1945 F/Gf.

9 4 Inventor 39 16 5/30?! 6. v6004 0, 37 By Attorney April 20, 1948.

H. c GOULD STERILIZING AND DISINFECTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 10, 1945 Inventor HEW? V86. 6 01/4 0 Patented Apr. 20, 1948 OFFICE.

STERILIZING AND DISINFECTING APPARATUS Henry Charles Gould, Grantham, England Application May 10, 1945, Serial No. 593,030 In Great Britain January 12, 1944 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to sterilizing and disinfecting apparatus and it refersmore particularly to apparatus employed for sterilizing or disinfecting surgical dressings and analogous articles which are treated in drums introduced into a chamber supplied with high pressure dry saturated steam, and the invention has for its principal object to ensure the rapid and complete expulsion of all air from the drums and especially any air in the interstices of the goods themselves. Another object of the invention is to eliminate the personal equation in so far as the control of the flow of sterilizing medium or exposure of articles to atmosphere are concerned and thus to render the apparatus fool proof, and a further object is to expedite the sterilizing or disinfecting operation and to improve the subsequent drying of the goods.

According to the invention the sterilizing or drying medium, as the case may be, is directed upwardly through a sterilizing drum and the admission of the mediumto and its escape from the drum are controlled by means which are conditioned by the positioning of the drum in situ within the sterilizing chamber.

To this end the sterilizing chamber is provided with a steam or air admission connection so 'constructed as, when a dressings drum is seated thereon, to combine therewith to form an automatic coupling, and the dressings drum is provided; in its base, with an inlet valve adapted to co-ac't with the coupling connection in the chamber so as to open into communication therewith, and at its top, the drum is provided with an exhaust valve so connectible with saidinlet valve as to be opened by the movement thereof, both said inlet and exhaust valves being arranged to close automatically directly the drum is raised for withdrawal from the chamber.

In one constructional embodiment of the invention, for example, a nozzle to admit steam or heated air, as the case may be, into the chamber is secured to the bottom thereof and terminates interiorly thereof in a hollowpedestal or head with the underside of which there co-acts a spring-loaded disc-valve making a fluid-tight joint therewith and slidable axially of the nozzle, theupper surface of said disc-valve being provided with a marginal gasket orjointing ring for contact with the base of a dressing drum when superimposed thereon. V

The dressingdrum which may be of circular, rectangular or other configuration, is apertured centrally at its base sufiiciently to permit the pasby a disc-valve car'riedat the foot of a stem extending freely upwardly of a guide tube supported centrally of the drum, and the cover of the drum is also apertured centrally and has fitted therein a spring-urged exhaust valve having a depending stem adapted when the drum cover is closed to make a joint with said upwardly extending valve stem and to function concurrently therewith.- Both valves are faced with rubber or other suitable material to form a seal and the valve in the base of the drum is of larger diameter than the valve in the head thereof.

At the top and bottom faces of each drum a groove or bead is formed in order to enable drums ciated admission valve constitutes an automatic coupling between the chamber and a dressings drum, and one or more of such pedestals and valves may be arranged in the base of the sterilizing chamber, and the drums may be stacked thereon in tiers, the steam passing upwardly through successive drums and escaping from the uppermost one '-of' each tier into the surrounding chamber.

In analternative embodiment of the invention the valve action of the coupling in the base of the sterilizing chamber may be dispensed with and the steam and air supply may be controlled by a valve situated-externally of the chamber.

- Further, the stems-o'f the inlet and exhaust valves in the drum may be omitted and the valves maybe guided bycentral bosses, serrated edges, or perforated flanges housed in a perforated cage, the valves being opened by the application of the steam or air pressure and the spring on the inlet valve being dispensed with if desired. Preferably the edge of the inlet valve is so constructed or arranged that adrum cannot beli'fted by-a person grasping the edge Of the valve. 1

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a. vertical section of one form of connection for the admission of the sterilizing or drying fluid into a dressings drum, the chamber as such being omitted, Figure 2 is a vertical section of a dressings drum, and Figure 3 is a similar view of a modified construction of connection which may be employed between the chamber and drum.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing three tiers of dressings drums disposed in sage of the aforesaid pedestal; head and is'closed cs series above ai'com'mon sterilizing or drying fluid 3 4 connection, the chamber as such being omitted on the disc-valve and with the head 3 enterfrom this view also. ing the aperture H3 in the bottom of the drum, Referring firstly to Figure 1, the base of a and directly the whole weight of the drum and sterilizing chamber of orthodox or any conits contents are borne by the pedestal the tension venient design, a portion of which is shown at l, 5 in the spring ID is overcome and the disc-valve is apertured to receive a tube or nozzle 2 to ad- 5 is moved axially downwards thus breaking the mit steam or heated air, as the case may be, joint made by the ring II while simultaneously which tube or nozzle is fixed inposition to ezrthe-head 3 of the; pedestal contacts with the inlet tend upward-1y into'the chamber wherein it tervalve. v 22 inthe base of the. drum and presses it minates interiorly of an inverted flanged circular upwardly and by the axial movement thus imhead 3 screwed on to a spider 4 centrally into I "parted to the stem 23 and locating plug 24 axial which the upper end of the nozzle 2 screwed, pressure isimposed on the stem 21 of the exhaust and below the head 3 a circular disc 5' of larger valve 26 in the lid l5 of the drum and the latter diameter than the head is secured to a sleeve 6 valve is raised from its seating against the tenslidable axially of and surrounding the. tube' on sion in therspringm. nozzle 2 with the outer surfaceof whicha. prese. the opening of the aforesaid valves, as desure-tight joint is obtained by meanslfotagland; acribeithesteam immediately flows from the Packing 7 and h r 8 compressed into a bored nozzle 2 through the separated elements of the length of the sleeve by agland nut 9. pedes'talt into the base of the drum upwardly of A co press o spr e' ll confi ed between the the interior of which it spreads, expelling the pt m Wa I of th hambfi t with? u de a r. meanwh l htq h heren exhai st ve of the discf 5 serves;v normally to maintain the uppe su weoi he is 5- 1 idi tt ntat with a resilient ring I} set in a groove in the I nd r d f he. s er a an e s 5:1 rqimethe operation is nstactanetus at e e de w ma ginal-ann a alln t v f in the drum q fiede tal: er upo all on t e op si e wh ch a e sk t n o n n he-r vescencemea immed at h-retum r of ru be r. the resi ientmeterial is et. V ne oi he erme les da'ncs tlqni n h above d sc ibe s,tru trev n i ute a sw; .hdraw t tr mathechemhe i pedes l. p n whit a dressin d ums hi In; an. aiternativeandz simpler: mbodimen of n nt o da te tolt n eti the. nv n io whiehmay'he nr terahle som his d essin s mi. ee E e r tlvc es sts o circumstances, heavalve g ic heine estal an ope opp d-circular c u in Hz Q W 'iQh lid connectionis; dispensedwith, aszwill be een-thy 5; s n ed t '5: and heme. Q1. 11 ts reference to Fi ure. 3-,oi. theidraw1 esi, e t u h as It. an he bott m ithwefina as In: this; case a stezpmsupply;pipefililh vina a I4 is apertured centrally at l8 sufilciently tapercontrol; valvev (notzshown), at; fiafigin i externally m the entrywithin; its b aded exi ent; hepe on the: chamhenieadsgmto denenqmgzmamfom $fial f3a l A 3 9. a i l fiz hfifitflfihlly 31 housing a concentric baffle tubev 38c8nl1md below aldisc: 39taperturedcentrally, at fiflljand" supportin a. hollow cromi: 44: perforated at all: and constituting the counterpart; of; the, previously describedipedestali heart: 3,;a1mdssec11iiedg by: angle rings; on theupperrfacerofithe-discwtaxis are: si lientijointingz. ring-x 44 .upom which .n the; base of the drum I5 is adaptedeth: seatiin; a;fluideti'ght manner.

'Ime. disc an; is borne. by anx annular: upwardly plataill'rs withim the upper." part iofswhich isadis'posed air-ring? serving to; locatatheli'lower i ehd oi adrumetifwhichhadaptedrtuapassztheree he; locating intoluhtil theepertplreraltrib firomthedmzrrcmthasstem-il tacts the upper edge ofi thedocating ring; and 25;;irthe lid, [5 when this occurs the;inletsvalveimzinxtheebase nd rovid s; asyidelfer the fijg emv aq one Genie arm and. themexhazust -valvelfisimtheclid ahutmentfonacoiledspring; i oif th ldruriiare fiorcediopemin the-:m-annen 3; itandxa collar; 3 :m'gid withtthe. stem Hi the ready-described;- whereupon the control valve is Springserving:normallysto-smaintain the valveizli opened and the Ste-an flows: through the cone upon itsisgatinei. nectionintoand upwardl mthroughthe drumiprea Both-the valves iacedwith cisely as before and with the sameeftect'; As ubber r, othe 5 4 1 to however ithis corinecti'oril i'sL. non-automatic. the form a se' a.1edjoin when/closed, the va lye steam is: oft attthecontroltvalvei before 22 in the'lbase'ofthe rifuffi is of greater diameter tl ie dru ii mw d -.t11 pedestalzfo t nWa-ndly oil he itisseat dm th b auti m i -1v; a 2- wa a arse-val ei-ies aad n he upper ide Qf its a than the valve 26 inthe lid drawalfron i thelchamber;

Thebottom of; thd 1 islfor n ed with a. cir;- has been stated thedrums-maybe cul'ar gro ve} 33.;aii1tne lid igre' mtn'a'ciras stackediri tiers wi-tl iinthe charnbei and Flguie i' c'ul'arrib '34 o f :th amejraflius, i der to enable sl okivs' diagrammatically effiecti obtai'nedtby drums to best'acke tiers of i, ng ithreqsdrumsorrone ots tha connections theLchan r, L g t M y 1 lustrated inFjig-ure-S; in thiscase near itsflowe'rf BIid Wil7h" a peijpheral r b-fi mngof'the bottom-d tum on the-pedes- In the o e at on r the above described m of 0 tall-raises the exhaust valve 2e on; -thelid ot 'the the invention a fq i'js" harg w'i dress drum sufliciently to enable it tq-afiprd an abutings to be steril d ndajt' th merit fo t l' aJve-M in;the-base-ot -the closed "iid'iriati seine s iriterm tlrerby-causedto hs terxtndp samthei u 7. v. l tee y v m iiqm tom' of thedrumrestfng on the sealing ring 13 7'5 a "inila-reife ing the air from one to the next and ultimately filling the series of drums; After the goods have been subjected to the sterilizing medium forthe prescribed'period of time thecontrol Valve is shut off and the drums are withdrawn one by one from the chamber, the inlet and exhaust valves in each drum closing automatically and sealing each drum against contamination of the goods by the atmosphere immediately the weight of a drum is removed from the drum below.

It will be seen that in both sterilizing'and drying the goods the treatment is eifected by thedirect application of the medium in an upward direction, the expulsion of the air at the disinfecting stage being instantaneous and certain immediately the steam fills the drum, and at the drying stage the goods are dried more speedily and thoroughly by virtue of the direct contact of the heated air with the goods. A further advantage is that no vacuum-producing apparatus is necessary in either case. i

What I claim is:

1. sterilizing, disinfecting and dryin apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber to receive at least one container for articles to be treated and having a base into which a fluid medium admission connection is led; characterized by a seating within said base of said chamber to receive said container and located around said fluid admission connection, ,a pedestal member projecting above said seating, said pedestal member communicating with saidfluid medium admission connection, a valve in said container to admit fluid medium thereinto, and a valve in said container to release fluid medium therefrom, both said valves being operated by said pedestal member when said container is positioned upon said seating.

2. sterilizing, disinfecting and drying apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber to receive at least one container for articles to be treated and having a base into which a fluid medium admission connection is led; characterized by a seating within said base of said chamber to receive said container and located around said fluid admission connection, a pedestal member projecting above said seating, said pedestal member communicating with said fluid medium admission connection, a fluid medium admission aperture in the base of said container, a fluid medium outlet aperture in the top of said container, an inlet valve controlling said admission aperture, an outlet valve controlling said outlet aperture, co-operating stems between said valves, and guide means to maintain the alignment of said co-operating stems, both said valves being operated by said pedestal member when the container is positioned upon said seating.

3. sterilizing, disinfecting and drying apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber to receive at least one container for articles to be treated and having a base into which a fluid medium admission connection is led; characterized by a seating within said base of said chamber to receive said container and located around said fluid admission connection, a pedestal member projecting above said seating, said pedestal member communicating with said fluid medium admission connection, a fluid medium admission aperture in the base of said container, a fluid medium outlet aperturein the top of said container, a normally closed fluid medium inlet valve seated on said admission aperture, a normally closed fluid medium outlet valve seated on said outlet aperture, a valve stem upstandingfrom said inlet valve, a valve stem depending from said outlet valve, and a tubular guide member co-aligning said stems, both said valves being operated by said pedestal member when the container is positioned on the seating.

4. sterilizing, disinfecting and drying apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber .to receive at least one container for articles to be treated and having a base into which a fluid medium admission connection is led; characterized by a seating within said base of said chamber to receive said container and located around said fluid admission connection, a pedestal member projecting above said seating in said chamber,

said pedestal member communicating with said fluid medium admission connection, a fluid medium admission aperture in the base of said container, said admission aperture being capable of receiving said pedestal member within it, a fluid medium outlet aperture in the top of said container, a normally closed fluid medium inlet valve seated on said inlet aperture, a normally closed fluid medium outlet valve seated on said outlet aperture, said outlet valve opening against spring pressure, a valve stem extending upwardly of said inlet valve, a fixed tubular guide enclosing said inlet valve stem, a valve stem depending from said outlet valve in alignment with said inlet valve stem, a conical locating tip on the upper end of said inlet valve stem, and a conical locating recess on the lower end of said outlet valve stem, both said valves beingoperated by said pedestal member when the container is positioned on said seating.

5. sterilizing, disinfecting and drying apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber, to receive at least one container for articles to be treated and having a base into which a fluid medium admission tube is led; characterized by a pedestal member mounted on said tube, said pedestal member communicating with said fluid medium admission tube, a seating to receive said container mounted resiliently about said admission tube below said pedestal member thereon, a resilient sealing ring around the upper face of said seating, a resilient sealing ring between the lower face of said head and the upper face of said seating, a fluid medium admission aperture in the base of said container, said aperture being capable of receiving said pedestal member within it, a fluid medium outlet aperture in the top of said container, and normally closed fluid medium inlet and outlet valves seated respectively on said inlet and outlet apertures, both said valves being operated by said pedestal member when the container is placed on said seating.

6. sterilizing, disinfecting and drying apparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed chamber to receive at least one container for articles to be treated within said chamber and having a base into which a fluid medium admission tube is led; characterized by a fluid medium inlet valve in said container, a fluid medium release valve in said container, a fluid medium admission coupling within said base of said chamber, a part of said coupling serving as a seating to receive said container, and a part of said coupling being a pedestal member, said pedestal member contacting said fluid medium inlet valve to lift it from its seat when the container is placed over the pedestal.

tus of the kind embodying Ian enclosed chamber .to receive a plurality of superimposed containers .for articles to :be treated .and having .a base Pinto which a fiuid medium admission tube is led; characterized by a fluid medium inlet valve in each of said containers, :a fluid medium ioutlet valve in each of said containers, a fluid medium admission coupling within said base of said chamber, a part .of said coupling serving as a seating to receive the lowermost of said containers, and a partof saidcoupling :being ;a padestal member, said pedestal member contacting the fluid medium inlet valve'of the lowermost of said containers to lift it and the outlet valve from their seats when said lowermost container is placed over the pedestal and the valves of each succeeding container being actuated by the outlet valve of the container on to which it is placed.

'8. sterilizing, disinfecting and dryingapparatus of the kind embodying an enclosed cham ber .to receive at least one sealed container for articles to be treated with a fluid medium admitted through the base of said chamber; characterized by a fluid medium admission aperture in the base of said container, a fluid medium inlet valve seatedon said admission aperture, a ilu'id medium outlet aperture in the top of said containeiy-a fiuid medium outlet "valveseated on vsaid outlet aperture, said two valves having oppositely .disposed co-aligned valve stems, a iiuidrmedium admission coupling within said v base vof said chamber, a part of said coupling serving as-a seating to receive said container, and a part of .said coupling being a pedestal projecting above said seating, said pedestal contacting said fluid medium inlet valve to lift it together with said fluid medium outlet valve from theirvrespective sea'tings wihen the container is vplaced over the pedestal.

-9. sterilizing, disinfecting and :drying apparatus of thezkind "embodying an enclosed chamber to receive :at least one sealed container for arti- :.cles to be treated with a fluid medium admitted through the base-of said chamber; characterized by a container consisting of :a' metal drum having :a hinged :lid, a fluid medium admission aperture in the Phase .ofsaid container, .afluid1medium inlet valve seated .on said admission aperture, a fluid medium outlet aperture in the :lid -:of said container, a fluid medium outlet valve seated on said outlet aperture; said two valves having oppositely disposed ,co a'ligned valve "stems, a fluid medium admission coupling within said base of :said chamber, said coupling comprising a seating for said container and a pedestal member proj ecting above said "seating, and said 7' pedestal member passing into the .fluid :medium admission aperture in the base of said container and contacting said fluid medium :inlet valve to lift it together REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references are of record in the 'file of this patent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 794,-564 Stifi July ll, 1905 Taylor Apr. 20, 1943 

